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Coronavirus updates: Nearly 20,000 Amazon workers have contracted COVID-19

The company reported the number of positive tests for the first time Thursday.

ByWilliam Mansell and Emily Shapiro
Last Updated: October 2, 2020, 10:35 AM EDT

A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 1 million people worldwide.

Over 34.1 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The criteria for diagnosis -- through clinical means or a lab test -- has varied from country-to-country. Still, the actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some national governments are hiding or downplaying the scope of their outbreaks.

Since the first cases were detected in China in December, the virus has rapidly spread to every continent except Antarctica.

The United States is the worst-affected country, with more than 7.2 million diagnosed cases and at least 207,651 deaths.

California has the most cases of any U.S. state, with more than 821,000 people diagnosed, according to Johns Hopkins data. California is followed by Texas and Florida, with over 774,000 cases and over 709,000 cases, respectively.

Nearly 190 vaccine candidates for COVID-19 are being tracked by the World Health Organization, at least nine of which are in crucial phase three trials.

Latest headlines:

Here is how the news is developing today. All times Eastern.
Oct 01, 2020, 11:01 AM EDT

New CDC guidance says entry testing at colleges might reduce transmission

The CDC has released extensive new guidance for colleges and universities dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks, dropping its previous recommendation against “entry” testing and now saying that approach might “prevent or reduce” transmission. 

A health care worker looks on as people wait in line at a testing site for COVID-19 set up for returning students, faculty and staff on the main New York University campus in New York City on Aug. 18, 2020.
Mike Segar/Reuters

The CDC's new guidance, which was quietly updated Wednesday, says due to the “frequent movement of faculty, staff and students” between campuses and the community, “a strategy of entry screening combined with regular serial testing might prevent or reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission.” 

A student at New York University (NYU) walk outside of a COVID-19 test site at its business school on Aug. 25, 2020, in New York City.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The new guidance seems to take into account growing cases near college towns since school returned this fall. The CDC said in June that it did “not recommend entry testing of all returning students, faculty, and staff.”

That guidance was delivered at a time when the U.S. testing system was stressed and some people were reporting that it took several days or even weeks to get a result. Since then, testing has become somewhat more available and college campuses have experienced a major surge in cases.

ABC News' Anne Flaherty contributed to this report.

Oct 01, 2020, 10:02 AM EDT

Steelers-Titans game pushed back to later in season due to more COVID-19 cases

The Pittsburgh Steelers-Tennessee Titans game, originally set for Sunday and then delayed to Monday or Tuesday, has now been pushed back to later in the season due to more COVID-19 cases, the NFL said Thursday.

Adam Thielen #19 of the Minnesota Vikings is unable to make a catch against the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter of the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sept. 27, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minn.
Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

One more Titans player and one more personnel member have tested positive, the NFL said Thursday. This comes after four Titans players and five team personnel members tested positive this week, according to ESPN.

“The Titans facility will remain closed and the team will continue to have no in-person activities,” the NFL said in a statement Thursday. “An announcement of the new game date will be made shortly.”

Oct 01, 2020, 9:29 AM EDT

September marks Tennessee’s deadliest month

September was Tennessee’s deadliest month of the pandemic, ABC Nashville affiliate WKRN reported.

Over 196,000 people have been diagnosed in the state since March, and at least 2,454 people have died, according to state health data.

Of those tested across the state on Wednesday, 7.04% were positive, according to state data.

Oct 01, 2020, 9:28 AM EDT

University suspends 38 student-athletes for attending off-campus party

At least 38 student-athletes at the University of Denver have been suspended after recently attending a large, off-campus party. 

The athletes, which are part of the men's and women's swimming and diving teams, violated state and local public health orders along with university policies, the school said Wednesday.

The University of Denver said the students knowingly broke the rules and attended the off-campus party and will be suspended for the rest of the fall quarter. They must also test for COVID-19 and face location restrictions until negative test results are received.

“We will continue to swiftly pursue disciplinary action if members of our community disregard the protocols and public health orders designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” Jeremy Haefner, chancellor of Denver University, said in a statement. “We can’t have anyone in our community believe they don’t need to abide by DU’s, the city’s or the state’s COVID-19 restrictions while the rest of the community is working so hard to have protocols in place intended to keep everyone safe and healthy.”

Haefner said there can be no large gatherings until COVID-19 is no longer a threat to the community. All gatherings are limited to 10 people or less. 

Colorado has more than 70,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus, with at least 2,051 deaths.